Radishes were always on the menu in my mother's kitchen. The whole family seemed to enjoy the peppery flavour and crunchy texture of this vegetable. I seem to recall that we learned how to carve little florets from them in my high school home economics class too!

In his 2007 book, Seasonal, chef Stefano Manfredi recalls an event known as La Noche de los Rabanos, or The Night of the Radishes, which dates back to the mid 19th century and celebrates the introduction of the radish by Spanish colonists. Manfredi writes 'Of all the radish carving practised around the world, the Mexicans of Oaxaca take the prize for the most exotic and creative. Each year, on the evening of December 23, local farmers bring their extraordinarily large radishes into the town square, where artisans carve them into everything from aliens to the baby Jesus.

Red radishes, such as those pictured, simple need to be washed and their tail trimmed. Eat whole or sliced in salads. Manfredi suggests that radishes go well with butter, olive oil, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, fennel, celery and raw celeriac, chick